Paul Orude, Bauchi
Interim National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, has described the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) as ‘a dead party that is irredeemable’. Gabam made this known, in Bauchi, on Monday, while speaking with journalists.
He was in Bauchi as parts of a nation-wide tour of the SDP to meet with stakeholders and party faithful to build party structure ahead of the 2019 general election.
Gabam was the National Campaign Coordinator for the Prof. Tunde Adeniran Campaign Organisation for the office of the National Chairman of the PDP in the December 2017 National Convention of the PDP.
He explained that their departure after the National Convention had left PDP in a prostrate state, saying attempt at reviving it would be futile as the aspiration of the founding father had been bastardised by those running the affairs of the party at present.
He said those at the helm of affairs were not there when PDP was formed but are now pursuing their selfish interests hence it would be difficult for the party to regain its lost glory.
Gabam said that the SDP would be built on the Option A4 for transparency, which worked during the military era of Ibrahim Babanagida and produced the widely acclaimed election that brought late Chief Moshood Abiola as elected President.
On why he left the PDP, Gabam who was part of the committee appointed to reconciled the PDP prior to the National Convention, said: “It was a collective decision we took as leaders of the party. First, we have been part and parcel of the process of formation of the party, building the party, campaigning for the party for a very long time.
“We have said it clearly that lacked of internal democracy, lack of respect for the dos and don’ts of the party, recklessness and irresponsibility are characteristics that have bedevilled the PDP that are beyond repair and can’t be fixed.
“Those who formed the party did so on a wider mission to unite Nigerians and accommodated people irrespective of religion, tribe and ethnicity and that is why a minority like Jonathan became a president of Nigeria because if the PDP hadn’t provided the leverage, perhaps he wouldn’t have that opportunity to contest for president.
“But now PDP has lost focus of what Nigeria entails but the reality of Nigeria today is that each and every one of us requires space, equal participation to vie from what you desire but PDP has derailed from the vision and mission of the founding father: one, keeping Nigeria one, secondly acknowledging all sort of opinions of, ethnicity, religion and so on. Three, as a Pan Nigeria political party, four, justice and fairness and sense of belonging, and these are what internal democracy entails and these are absence in PDP today.
“I have been a founding father of the party from the G-7, from the G-18, from the G-34, I have travelled to every state of the federation, I have campaigned for the party. I have been a member of all the strategic committees and I have what it takes to transform the party, I have participated in zonal committees that were constituted to provide advice on how to reform the party, so I am convinced to leave the PDP because it has derailed.”
Gabam said that he was in Bauchi to sell the SDP, which is not a new political per say but has a history of a two-party system in Nigeria, adding that while the other party registered with it, the National Republican Convention (NRC) has fizzled out, the SPD is still existing.
“We have looked at all the political parties available in Nigeria and we have found that the SPD is still credible, we find their constitution and manifestoes amiable and friendly to the Nigeria people. Even though we have set a committee to review the manifestos of the SPD to be in tandem with the current reality that we have to cover some of the challenges and excesses that we are having today as a nation so that we can have a peaceful and amiable country,” he said